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I never imagined using onion juice for hair growth, but after reading the great results of a recent study, I decided to give it a try!
Onions are more than just a healthy vegetable. They have been shown to help increase hair growth and reverse grey hair when applied to the scalp. That’s why every night you’ll find me applying onion juice for hair growth.
Onion juice has been used for hundreds of years to treat thin and greying hair.
Onion juice helps by providing nourishment and circulation to the hair follicles. It also kills germs, parasites, and is helpful in treating some fungi infections, all of which can aid in prevention of hair loss.
How Onion Juice for Hair Growth Works:
Onions are high in sulfur, which helps in regenerating the hair follicles. They are also beneficial in decreasing inflammation.
A few weeks ago, a breakthrough study for thin and grey hair was published and showed great results for the effectiveness of a topical compound called pseudocatalase (PC-KUS). The reason this topical cream was found effective was that it targeted the cause of grey and thinning hair.
Research from Bradford University in the UK and several other universities have shown that grey and thinning hair is caused by a buildup of hydrogen peroxide and a decrease in the natural antioxidant, catalase. When a buildup of hydrogen peroxide occurs at the hair follicles, it causes oxidative stress resulting in greying and thinning hair.
Catalase can not only be found in the topical cream, but it can also be produced from the application of onion juice! Onion juice reacts similarly when it is applied. It increases the level of catalase on the skins surface, reducing the buildup of hydrogen peroxide.
Onion Juice for Hair Loss and Greying Hair
The results from the topical application of onion juice can be observed within just a few weeks.
One study from the Journal of Dermatology found that just after four weeks of using onion juice, 74% of individuals with alopecia areata experienced significant hair regrowth. Within six weeks of using onion juice, 84% of the individuals were reported to have hair regrowth.
How to Make Onion Juice
When I first started researching using onion juice for hair growth, I immediately did a search for where I could buy some. Even though you can buy it online, it is better to use the juice of a fresh onion. Any onion juice you purchase from a store has most likely been sitting on a shelf for months. Fresh onion juice will be more potent. It is best to make the juice in small amounts so it is does not have to be stored for a long period of time.
There are 3 Ways You Can Make Onion Juice:
1) Juicer- If you have a juicer, this is the easiest way to make onion juice. Just peel the onion, cut it in half and put it in the juicer. I decided to buy a juicer just for the purpose of juicing onions because it is the fastest and easiest way to get the most juice. You can get an inexpensive juicer and they work great. I bought this one because of the very low price and absolutely love it!
2) Blender/Food Processor- Peel the onion and cut it into about 4 sections. Then put them into your blender or food processor and start blending. Lastly, strain the mixture so that only the juice is remaining.
3) Grater – Peel the onion and cut it in half. Grate both halves of the onion over a dish. Then strain the mixture to get just the juice.
How to Use Onion Juice for Hair Growth and Grey Hair
For the first application of onion juice, you may want to test it on a small area (in case you may be allergic to it) or water down the mixture. Even though it’s natural, pure onion juice is strong.
Steps:
- Apply the onion juice daily to your scalp and lightly massage it in. This helps stimulate the hair follicles and allows for maximum absorption.
- Leave the onion juice on for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
The smell is powerful, but the results may be worth it! To avoid smelling like onion all day, you can apply it at night and then wash it out before you go to bed.
If you’re allergic to onions or are looking for another option, there are many more ways you can increase hair growth with natural ingredients.
Hello Lori,
I’m 23 years old. From 2 years my hair is becoming very thin, now my head is also baled.
I wanna know whether applying onion juice really helps in regenerating the hair in the baled area too.
Yes it is i have experience im applying since 2 month also aplly mustard oil on scalp its gud for hair regrowth and hair fall
Can i mix Garlic and onion juice?
Try it i dont know but garlic is good dont know and cant say about it
Those involved in the study saw great results! You can check out others’ comments above too.
hello all, i have reading this comments and started to apply with onion juice with lemon juice, since 19/06/14
after starting using the juice of onion and lemon the very first week i have noticed that i have no more dandruff,i used to have a lot of dry dendruff, and it helped me now as i have read many peoples are talking about it also helps growing your hair that you have already lost, i have been using only onion juice 3 times a week and i use it at night and leave it all night and clean it in the morning when i take shower,but till now i didnt notice any hair regrowth at the bald place, now i have started to apply it twice a day,if any one can suggest me if im doing it right or i shoud add anything more with onion juice thanx in advance
That’s great you’ve noticed some improvement! Those in the study who saw good results used it twice daily.
Which onion is best for this purpose, red onion or white?
The study didn’t mention what type of onion they used. I use organic yellow onions.
Hey thanks for information.
I think i should try it. I used to have thick hair before but now in front part of my head, hair is getting thinner , i am about to be an partial bald at the age of 24
To get the result how long should i use onion juice on my scalp? 1 month 2 month..
Those in the research article used it daily for about 4 to 6 weeks.
Hi Lori,
i have a question for you. if i feel the burning after apply the onion paste on my hair ? is that normal feeling ? and can i mix onion paste together with garlic paste ? sorry for trouble and your answer much appreciated
Thank you
Hi, I don’t notice any irritation when I apply the onion juice. You may want to do a small patch test on your skin first to make sure you’re not allergic to it or water the onion juice down so it’s not as potent.
Hi lori
I am having hevy hairfall from last 8 months after I suffered from tonsils problem
I have tried homeopathy treatment also but every thing was just wastage of money n time
Now I have started applying onion juice on my scalp from last 15 days …..it has increased my hair fall n my hair are also too much thin
Can u plz tell me in how much time it will stop my hairfall n all hair issues
I am male of 29 yrs old, no hair loss problem but facing grey hair problem since last 3-4 years when I stopped eating onion/ garlic permanently. So probably problem of grey hair started because of that only. thus this article makes sense to me. It has been 7 weeks (50 odd days now) since I first onion juice on my scalp. During these 50 days I kept a register to take not of the exact count. I put onion juice for 28 days and noticed significant rise in hair fall, I lost 200 odd black strong hairs on these 28 attempts, but also lost 55-60 odd white/grey hair. I noriced a 2 hairs which were white from top but now BLACK from bottom. This it seems to slowly working. I am also taking xtin forte capsules( biotin / calcium pantithenate) . Wish me luck, I am getting married later this yr.
Hi All,
Any advice on my increase in hair fall since I am putting onion juice on hair ?
I am male of 29 yrs old, no hair loss problem but facing grey hair problem since last 3-4 years when I stopped eating onion/ garlic permanently. So probably problem of grey hair started because of that only. Thus this article makes sense to me. It has been 7 weeks (50 odd days now) since I first put onion juice on my scalp. During these 50 days I kept a register to take not of the exact count. I put onion juice for 28 days and noticed significant rise in hair fall, I lost 200 odd black strong hairs on these 28 attempts, but also lost 55-60 odd white/grey hair. I noticed a 2 hairs which were white from top but now BLACK from bottom. This it seems to slowly working. I am also taking xtin forte capsules( biotin / calcium pantothenate) . Any advice on my increase in hair fall since I am putting onion juice on hair ? I am not sure if new black hairs are coming. Loren can you advise how long will it take and if I am on the right track ? For every 2 white hair that fall, 5-10 black hairs also fall when I apply onion juice. Is it fine to continue ?
Good luck! 🙂
I would like to know if anyone who is currently coloring their hair blonde to cover the grey has had issues with their hair color or not. Obviously I’d like the grey growth at the root to come back my natural color and then add highlights instead of the need for overall color, which for me is 3 colors at a salon and very pricey. Thank you.
Hi Lori,
I like to know if I applied the onion juice on scalp, then it reverse the gray hair or not? How many times I have to follow this process in a week? Reply me . waiting for your reply.
I don’t have gray hair yet, so I can’t comment from personal experience. The study found positive results from applying it 2 times a day for 6 weeks.
hey…please sm1 rply that how to wash off the onion juice after applying it…i dnt wanna use shampoo…coz shampoo is the main reason of my hair thining..so please help me?? 🙁
I wash it out after an hour or two with castile soap it is very gentle. You could also try using homemade honey shampoo or just using aloe vera to wash it out.
I used this to grew a beard. I hated my beard was very premature, asymmetric, in patches and not a full nice beard.
after applying red onion massages something happened after a month. hair started to grow. and now, I’m able to grow almost a full beard. there are areas that take longer but it accelerated the proces IMMENSELY. it does work!
Hi,
Let me know, how long did you applied it to see the results
Regards,
That is fantastic! So glad to hear it has helped with hair loss.
I used onion juice on my hair for 1 day. The result was that my hair become soft. But what I want to know is that does it really help to reverse the grey hair? Hos using onion juice helped to reverse anyone’s grey hair? please let me know.
No my new hair is grey but I don’t care it’s hair
The study found good results. You can read through other comments above to see others results.
it’s doesn’t work for me
Hi,
Would like to know how long you have been applying it…
Make sure you are not anaemic (not enough red blood cells) caused by iron, B12, or folic acid defficiency. Thyroid problems can also cause hair fall. A few drops of iodine in your shampoo might help as well. Rubbing the scalp with a paste of white mustard seeds, and/or horsraddish might help as well (they increase the blood flow of your scalp). You can google them for more info.
Could I use both onion juice and coconut oil together as a treatment? What would that look like? Would I alternate between the two? Please advise!
I use coconut oil as well. I typically do a coconut oil hair mask once a week. I haven’t tried mixing them together yet, let us know if you give it a try.
Wonder if the juice would still work if we froze it, maybe in icecube trays?
Definitely! I store mine in the freezer now so I don’t have to keep juicing so often.
Hi Lori
Does applying onion on your hair will lighten the colour of your hair or will ir remain same.
I am 31 years old, Im also experiencing hair loss problem I was using lot of different types of oil and shampoo but no use , I will be going to use this but I have some doubt :
1) we have to use every day or once or twice a week is enough?
2) only onion juice or add any oil as i have dry hair so washing daily will make it more dry.
3)Does applying onion on your scalp will lighten the hair colour or will it remain same.
I have black hair and i have read somewhere that adding sesame oil with onion juice will prevent the color lightening caused by onions.
please give the answer and help me.
Thanks
It has not lightened my hair or changed the color at all. In the study, the participants used it 2 times a day, but I still saw good results using it every few days. The onion hasn’t made my hair dry, I use only pure onion juice.
thanks for posting this unique hair care alternative.
might as well try this if my hair growth helmet fail. But it gives me positive outcome so far and my hair improves a lot now. great article anyway 🙂
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
Im also experiencing hair loss from hair treatment ( too much peroxide ) last saturday. is it too soon to apply onion juice now? Im so scared as my hair is still coming out in little pieces and my thick hair is now so thin. please help me
Hi there.I am 13 years old.can I use it too? I have a severe hairfall.can I use it once a week?
It is only pure onion juice, just be sure to do a patch test first to make sure you’re not allergic to it.
hi ,
I have extreme hair fall from past 2 yrs. my hair that was 1e an envy has gone very very thin thou i hv very long hair below waist but its so so thin looks like i can count all my hair m using sesa hair oil now m from Mumbai India , i hvnt tried the onions but wud love to i hv a few qts if u cud reply me in my email plz
— can i mix onion juice wid sesa hair oil ? n how much juice shud i use ? whether alone or mixed in oil kindly recommend n as i hv very very long hair n i hv to go out to work so cannot was suh long hair daily i wash it 1ce a week so is it ok to use it 1ce a week n plz mention how much juice must i apply n to mix wid oil or not n thnx tc
Hi,
I have been experiencing hair fall issues forever now. I have visited various doctors but nothing seem to be working. Now I am also experiencing grey hair. Almost 40% of my hair is grey. I am 31 and yes I do believe the root cause of my problem is stress. I eat healthy and work out and sleep at least 8 hours. I still wonder why my hair is so lifeless.
I have started applying onion Juice since 2 weeks. I haven’t got any result as of now. Hoping I would see some result considering most of you guys have.
Any further suggestion is much appreciated.
Most participants didn’t see results until 4 to 6 weeks, so it may take longer to see results. Hope it works for you!
Hi Am Zubair 26yrs old I too have hair problem which includes problems like hair loss,baldness in M shape.Can I apply (or) rub garlic cloves (or) Oninon juice on these places, Where I have a baldness which is in M shape.As I am rubbing garlic cloves on the places can i continue with this or shall i start to apply onion juice.Please let me know.
Hi I was wondering if you could juice a few onion and refrigerate it to use throughout the week… Will the affects be the same ?
The participants in the study kept it in the fridge and continue to use it throughout the week. This is what I do as well. It’s too time consuming to have to do it every day.
Please don’t. Use. Raw. Garlic on. Skin. Dilute it. With. Sesame oil.
at first thanks , for yours advice
my hair problem is gone .for onion apply.and grow now hair 2monthe
make some chilli juice and apply
Dear All
If anybody is having before and after picture of Baldness curing with Onion Juce, kindly sene me the photo on my mail id [email protected]
It should be cured with Onion Juce.
Thanks for the same
Hey!
Lori, does this work for everyone? Hair lost in the temple region regrows? How long will it take to see positive results if it’s done around 5 times a week?
Please respond.
Thank you.
Many have seen great results, you can check out the comments above to see how it worked for others. In the study, they used it twice daily and saw an improvement starting at 4 weeks.
Hello,
after applying the onion juice on the scalp for around 45-60 minutes, do I have to shampoo my hair every time for rinsing ? or only use water for the rinsing part?
Yeah….u can use shampoo wen u going to wash ur hair…
I use shampoo to remove it because otherwise the smell is too powerful and it leaves my hair stiff.
Do I have to make the onion juice everyday? Could I make a batch that would last about a week, or would it lose its potency?
Thank you.
I make enough to last a few days and store it in the refrigerator, this is what they did in the study as well.
Hi all its been 24days I have been doing this, I did have some hair loss as hair seems to of thinned out, but alas I have new hair sprouting up in saying that they are grey hairs but hey I don’t care its hair. Last night I mixed onion juice with ginger and my scalp got quiet warm when massaging hair so I think that’s good, I tried garlic but don’t no if that helped me shall mix that up again during week and see. So far so good cant wait for my patches to cover up I just have to be patient have fingers crossed shall let you all no my weekly progress and still I do it every night leave it on till morning.
I said I would let you all no if it reverse grey hair in my case no all my new hairs are grey maybe it might in some people but not me but hey its hair who cares. Good Luck all Cheers Aine
Glad to hear you have noticed some hair growth.
Well it’s been just over 2 months and I have been doing it 5 days a wk all though I missed 1 week, results so far it is working but slowly I still have patches but I’m not losing faith I will keep at it. I wash my hair twice in morning then massage ginger juice into scalp for about 20 mins then rinse it out and use conditioner, and boy does my scalp hot up in shower, I do think the ginger juice as well is helping. I think mine will be a long journey as I do have lots of patches but I will put up with the juices for a yr if I have to. Wish everyone good luck
Wow, great to hear it is working!